Researchers strive for early detection of “silent killer”.

By the time Ottawa resident Anita Portier was diagnosed with metastatic advanced Stage IV ovarian cancer, her doctors believed she had just a few months to live.

But almost four years later, the self-described “miracle baby” is a strong advocate for more education about the disease, both for women of all ages and for general practitioners and other medical professionals.

Ovarian cancer, called a “silent killer” because symptoms are often vague and similar to more benign conditions in the early stages, is often not diagnosed until it is at an advanced stage. Researchers say about 77 per cent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed at this point.

Salima Allibhai-Hussein, the Canadian Cancer Society’s senior manager of prevention, encourages women to discuss their cancer risk and any tests that may be available for early cancer detection with their doctor.

One of the issues with ovarian cancer, says Portier, is that “there is no simple diagnostic tool as there is for breast cancer or prostate cancer.”

“I had started having symptoms about nine months before I was diagnosed in July 2008,” says Portier. “I was extremely fatigued, but I attributed that to overworking. I am a translator working from home and have as many bosses as I have clients. But after taking a holiday, I was even more tired. Then I was a bit depressed, but I attributed that to the ‘big 50’ being around the corner.”

In addition, says the 54-year-old, her abdomen started bloating and she had some intermittent pain, “but I didn’t pay much attention to the pain because I was very active, playing squash, training and running, and when I was physically active, the pain went away.”

“The signs are not clear,” says Dr. Lucy Gilbert, the principal investigator of the DOVE (Detect Ovarian Cancer Early) project at the McGill University Health Centre and a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and the department of oncology at McGill University. “Women take bleeding and pain seriously, but the symptoms of ovarian cancer, such things as indigestion, bloating and urinary frequency, are very subtle and seem like common problems. These are not the things that make a woman see a doctor.”

Eventually, when Portier’s discomfort was constant and she began spotting blood she visited her doctor.

“He thought I had a urinary infection or kidney stones and sent me for X-rays and blood work,” says Portier.

Looking back, Portier says, “by this time, all the signs were there — the bloated abdomen, the sunken face, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and I was losing weight because I couldn’t eat much.”

At her request, her GP arranged for her to have an ultrasound. But, she says, because it was not classed as urgent, she had to wait a month for the appointment and a further two weeks for the results.

“After the ultrasound report was in, things moved very fast,” she says. “I was sent to the Riverside Hospital women’s health centre and was in hospital the next day.”

After a week of treatment in hospital, she was sent home. “At that point, I was a palliative-care patient,” says Portier. “They asked me if I had a good network and I do. My sister lived just five minutes away. I have a lot of friends and my mother flew in from France to take care of me and did everything, including looking after my cat and dog.”

While undergoing continued treatment, she joined the peer support group at the General campus of the Ottawa Hospital. “I’m still in touch with many of the women I met there and now it’s my turn to help other people,” she says.

“I think that women are not educated about ovarian cancer soon enough,” she says. “Prevention care should start by giving good information about the symptoms to teenagers and to general practitioners.”

“Most ovarian cancer patients come to us when they have advanced disease,” says Gilbert, pointing out that in the DOVE project pilot study “women were diagnosed quite early in the course of the disease and it was easier to see where the disease started.”

In most cases, she says, this was in the Fallopian tubes rather than the ovaries. “Because we had been looking in the wrong places, we didn’t know what the alerting signs would be.”

“We can’t prevent the disease, but if we pick it up when the volume is small and are able to remove all visible disease, we increase the chance of cure substantially,” she says. “If there is no visible disease at the end of the operation, 60 per cent of women are alive in five years. And if they have not had recurrence in five years, the chances of being cured are very high.”

Wheels of Hope has positive impact on people living with cancer.

When Chelsie Geib, 33, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, she was only eight years old.

After her dentist spotted some bumps on her tongue, he urged her family to take Geib to the doctor – a day Geib says she remembers more than the actual diagnosis.

“I went to the doctor with my grandmother,” says Geib. “The doctor cut off a piece of my tongue so he could do a biopsy. I remember that day more than when we went back and he told my parents I had cancer.”

Geib was diagnosed with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B, a rare form of cancer that affects the body's network of hormone-producing glands (the endocrine system).

Because the condition allows Geib's bowels to create more gas than normal, she often experiences the painful movement of gas flowing through her system, which can be so bad it can cause her to pass out. “Sometimes, I'll have to grab a wall and hold on and not move,” says the Belleville, Ont. resident.

The cancer can also cause Geib to experience physical anxiety-like symptoms even if she doesn't feel anxious.

With symptoms like these, it's vital that Geib keep her stress levels low.

But one day she found herself without a way to get to her doctor's appointment one hour away in Kingston and she went into a tailspin.

“My parents were living in Hong Kong, my younger sisters were in school and I was on my own,” says Geib. “I called the Canadian Cancer Society, crying, and I remember the person on the phone calmed me down” and told her about the Wheels of Hope Program.

The Wheels of Hope program is an Ontario-based volunteer-provided program that helps people get to their cancer appointments, including radiation, chemotherapy, lab or follow-ups.

Every year, approximately 3,000 Canadian Cancer Society volunteer drivers drive more than 10 million kilometres to take more than 16,500 people to cancer treatment appointments.

“We know that some people have no other way to get to their appointments,” says Tanya Nixon, senior manager of transportation for the Wheels of Hope Program, who says some cancer patients can have as many as 35 treatments in a month. “This program helps people in a very real way. It removes the burden people live with when diagnosed with cancer.”

It's also a relief for the cancer patient's family, including Geib's 13-year-old son, Damon.

Geib says before Wheels of Hope, if Damon knew she was looking for a ride to her appointment, he would take it upon himself to call everyone he knew to secure a ride for his mom.

“So now with Wheels of Hope, the volunteers come to the door, pick me up, stay with me and drop me off,” says Geib, “and that's a huge relief for him.”

The program has had such a positive impact on Geib and her family that is has inspired her to volunteer for the Canadian Cancer Society, spreading the word to major corporations on the importance of donating to keep the Wheels of Hope program in motion.

Geib says after six years of unemployment it'll be her way to give something back.

Dr. John Robinson, clinical psychologist at Calgary's Tom Baker Cancer Centre, says this is a path many patients take.

“Volunteering gives us the feeling that we are doing something meaningfully in a selfless way,” says Robinson. “Many people feel that they are a burden on others and not contributing when they are ill. Volunteering after an illness helps affirms that you are worthwhile and that you can make a difference in other’s lives.”

For Geib volunteering is a way to come full circle with her cancer.

“Throughout my whole life of dealing with this, I've had to rely on other people – families, doctors, the community,” says Geib. “ I had no way to give back. Now to be able to help the Wheels of Hope Program is fantastic. It makes me feel better.”

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.